Blueberry Planting Instructions

Selecting the site. The plat site is important. You should avoid standing water and saturated soils. Blueberries require good drainage. Blueberries will tolerate partial shade but best fruit production will be in full sun.

Digging the hole. Please keep in mind that the planting hole you are preparing is where the blueberry plant will live in for its entire life. Dig a planting hole at least 24″ in diameter and 18″ deep. The planting hole should contain at least 50% acidic organic mulch (peat moss, rotted sawdust, composted pine bark) with the native soil. Blueberries require an acidic soil pH 4.0-5.5.

Don’t plant too deep. Blueberries should not be planted any deeper than the top of the root ball. In heavy clay soils drainage is critical. Work the organic mulch in the top 3″ of the soil and place the blueberry plant on top of the ground. Back fill with your organic mulch 2 feet around the plant and to the top of the root ball. Planting the blueberry high gives the plant the drainage it requires.

Feeding the plant. Apply 2-3 inches of acidic mulch annually. Fertilizer should be applied at low rates using an “acid loving” fertilizer. Fertilizer and sulfur are available on the ‘Home Gardener‘ page.

Watering the plant. Blueberries require constant moisture in their root zone, but can’t tolerate saturated soils for long periods of time. The organic mix provides good moisture retention and sufficient drainage. During dry, hot weather blueberries may require watering several times a week.